Process of treating an alcoholic beverage



prl 2, l940 R. H. VAN SANT PROCESS 0F TREATING AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE Filed Oct. 29, 19255 Patented pr. 2, i940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS F TREATING AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE Application October 29, 1935, Serial No. 47,317

1 Claim.

The principal object of this invention is to improve the avor, bouquet, and potability of beverages, and particularly to promote and hasten the formation of the elements in alcoholic beverages that produce the desirable avor, probably the esters.

Generally speaking, the object is achieved by subjecting the beverage to the action of light and selected wave lengths only under suitable conditions of temperature and in the presence of cooperating agents.

The violet, blue, a part of the orange, and part of the red rays appear to have bad effects on beverages, while the green, the yellow, a small part of the orange, and the infra-red rays produce or promote decidedly beneficial effects. I therefore put between-the light source and the beverage a screen that will transmit only those rays that are desired, and intercept or absorb the others.

The manner of application and the apparatus are selected to suit the circumstances which will make wide variations necessary.

Whiskey is generally aged in charred oak barrels filled through a bung-hole, and holding about fty gallons. For treating such whiskey the selected rays or wave lengths of light are directed through the bung-hole into the whiskey, and may be diiused throughout the barrel.

The accompanying heat will warm the whiskey locally and produce circulation by which all the whiskey is brought through the same conditions, and therefore given the same treatment. The amount of heat will depend upon the source of light and the general arrangement. In some instances it will be necessary to intercept a portion of the heat transmitted by the light source, in order to prevent undue warming of the beverage.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation of apparatus suitable for treating beverages in barrels, part of the barrel being broken away to show the apparatus inside;

Fig. 2 is a large vertical section through the upper portion of an applicator to be inserted through the bung-hole;

Fig. 3 is a similar section of the lower portion of the same;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plotted curve indicating the preferred selection of light; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a glass carboy that may be used for holding the beverage under treatment.

(Cl. Sil- 48) These specific forms, however, are merely selected for illustration of the broader invention.

The barrel I0 may represent the ordinary fifty gallon oak barrel, charred on the inside at II. Such barrels each have a bung-hole I2, two -6 inches in diameter under the prevailing practice,

but there is a variation from 11/2 to 2% inches.

Sunlight, of course, is the best that can be had, but it is not available continuously and for that reason artificial light, diagrammatically represented at I3, is generally relied upon. The light is arranged so as to direct the rays into the bunghole I2, and to increase the number of rays entering a collecting lens I4 is interposed to make a pencil of parallel rays I5, corresponding roughly to the size of the bung-hole.

Any sort of screen can be put between the source of light and the liquid for making the selection of rays to be passed and those to be intercepted. In this illustration use is made of a tube I6, very much like the ordinary laboratory test tube, but, of course, much larger, the upper end I1 being just about the right size to fit closely in the bunghole I2. The screen material may be applied to the inside of this tube, but because the green that is preferable is of a fugitive nature the pigment is actually put on a separate tube I8, inside the tube Il, and of slightly conical form.

In the preferred practice the tube I8 is coated on the inside with a yellow pigment I9, and on the outside with a green pigment 20, borne and held in place, of course, by a suitable vehicle, such as a lacquer. By this arrangement the hardier yellow pigment I9 is interposed between the light and the fugitive green pigment 20, thereby increasing its useful life in the apparatus.

The conical form of the tube I8, receiving the approximately parallel rays, assists in deecting or defracting them so as to make a proper application to the 1iqu1d surrounding the tube Is. A11 4 the range of optical forms are availablev for directing the light from the pencil entering the bung-hole into the liquid, but as a general rule most of them will be found rather expensive except where the tubes can be made in quantities sufllcient to justify an investment in the proper tools.

The concomitant heat will warm the liquid adjacent to the tube I6, and the warm liquid will rise, as indicated by the arrows, thereby producing a circulation in the barrel that brings all the liquid through the treatment zone in substantially the same way. The amount of heat will vary with the apparatus enough to cause 55 ments entering into the situation.

whiskey can well be treated at a temperature Temperatures above that will accelerate the process. No particular temperature can very well be set because of the varied conditions and ele- However,

up to well above a hundred. Some wines will permit temperatures adjacent to 140 degrees F.

The use of the conical tube I8 for bearing the screen pigments introduces a sort of Idead fair space insulation that reduces the heat transmission. In some instances it will be necessary to stimulate the heating by some means other' than the light.

When the conical tube is not used the heat transmission is higher and it may be necessary, under some conditions, to cut down the amount of heat reaching the liquid from the light source. This can be done by interposing a heat-absorbing cell 22 between the light source and the bung. A solution of copper sulphate in distilled water, in a suitable clear glass cell, will do the work. Unavoidably the size, thickness, and other proportions must be a matter of selection, according to the heat absorption required.

The upper end of the tapered tube I 8 has an outstanding ange 26 overlapping the flanged upper end I1 of the tube I6. Between the anges a soft metal ring 23 of brass, lead, or zinc is placed to hold the inner tube in proper relation and prevent the stresses from localizing on the glass and causing fracture. A variety of such expedients can be readily designed, including some mechanical means for locking the parts to,- gether to prevent tampering, but permitting ready access for inspection and service.

Over the flange 26 is a sealing cap 25, of clear glass, which may or may not be a collecting lens, according to personal preference. It is made fast in any suitable manner, such as by cementing.

A 50 gallon barrel is about twenty-ve inches inside diameter, and the applicator for such a barrel should be about twenty-two inches long, in order to reach well down to the bottom of the barrel. 1

f course, I am aware that light can be put into whiskey in such a barrel more efficiently by building a special lamp to be inserted into the tube I6, but that at present involves a prohibitive cost and would introduce a problem in taking care of the heat.

When beverages are stored in hogsheads, tuns, vats, and such like, the apparatus will be varied to suit. In some instances a whole side or the top, ,or such area thereof as is chosen, will be made into a light screen, and the source of light will be arranged in appropriate position and of candle power according to the work to be done. 'I'his particular apparatus, diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, is designed to meet existing conditions in storing whiskey in this country.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a familiar form of glass carboy21,which maybe used for containing beverages under treatment, in which case the screen pigment will be applied to the outer surface and the light will be arranged about the carboy in` such a way as to let the incident heat cause the circulation that brings all of the beverage through the same course of treatment. In order to protect the green pigment from the deleterious effects of the light it should be covered with the yellow.

Chloroplast pigments are preferred, although the chloroplwll may be used alone. As an illustration, the green coating for the screen may include- Parts Nitrocellulose dissolved in 20 parts of amyl acetatel Cellosolve (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether) Denatured alcohol v Abalyn (methyl esters of abietic acid) This involves a selection from a great variety of sources. The chloroplast, chlorophyll, xanthophyll and carotin, in the proportions found in the ordinary green leaf, are just about right. Any other 'pigment having about the same absorption bands may be used instead. 'Ihe chlorophyll is particularly fugitive under strong light. All greens are more or less fugitive. Care must be taken by inspection to see that the color intensity is maintained.

The yellow coating may include- Parts Nitrocellulose, dissolved in 20 parts amyl acetate Cellosolve (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether) 10 Denatured alcohol 17.5 A 50% solution of Glyptal #2452 25 Abalyn (methyl esters of abietic acid) 5 Fael yellow (a pigment having an absorption band similar to that shown in Fig. 5) 10 Carotinoid pigments in about the proportions they occur in the ordinary green vegetation is correct. Other pigments, however, in great numbers may be used, for their principal purpose is to protect the green and extend its useful life.

In applying the yellow to the inside of the tube I8, a suitable quantity of the above-described mixture is poured into the tube which is laid down and rotated in a substantially horizontal position at about twelve revolutions per minute while heat is applied to the exterior--for example, with an electric hot plate-and a stream of air is injected inside the tube to carry away the evaporated solvent.

For the outside green coating the tube is simply dipped in the green mixture above described, drawn out and allowed to dry, or the drying is accelerated by the application of heat.

When the beverage is in any container other than the charred wood, it will generally be helpful, if not necessary, to introduce peat, charcoal extract, or something of that nature. Perhaps the action of the light on the charred vegetable material cooperates or coacts to promote the desirable eiect.

Instead of coating the transparent or translucent containers for the beverages they may be stored in a room or cell equipped with articial light in a suitable ray-intercepting screen to protect the beverage from all except the chosen rays. 0f course, the room or cell in which the containers are stored may have a window or a roof, or portion of a wall, made of the screening material, in which case sunlight or artiiicial light on the outside may be used for treatment. The ordinary winery cellars may be used as treatment chambers by putting the beverages in carboys and equipping the cellars with some sort of artificial light projected through the necessary screen.

In many cases it will be found that the storage cellars are so cool as to retard the desired development, in which case it will be necessary to install some sort of heating apparatus. The optimum temperature condition varies with different beverages and different vintages. In fermented beverages, where enzymes are present, they must be taken into account and the temperature regulated accordingly.

In Fig. 5 is shown a diagram with a curve 30 plotted to indicate the wave lengths of light which have the desirable effects. The Angstrom units are put at the top to prevent confusion. but they are to be read as though distributed along the bottom line. The infra-red rays, as indicated at the right in the diagram, have a surprisingly helpful action on most beverages. although very desirable results can be obtained by excluding them and using only the wave lengths between about 5000 and 6200, as indicated by the diagram. Also it will be found advantageous to sometimes use only those wave lengths above 6800.

Victoria or malachite green, combined with tartrazine, for example, may be employed as a substitute for the chloroplast pigments. Tartrazine and many other yellow synthetic organic pigments may be used as a substitute for the carotinoids. Inorganic pigments are not as desirable. Chemicals. such as quinine sulphate and copper chloride are also helpful to absorb the short rays. The ordinary ilint glass employed in the making of the tubes also helps to delimit and absorb the short rays. Instead of Victoria or malachite green, thiocarmlne may be used. However it is at present dilcult to get in the United States. l

As an illustration the green coat may be prepared as follows: Dissolve ve pounds malachite green in ten gallons hot water, add 13 ounces of '76% caustic soda andboiliteenmlnutes,add tour pounds of rosin of good grade-agitata and boil for thirty minutes. Precipitate the color by adding six pounds of manganese chloride dissolved in ve gallons of hot water-boil the precipitate mixture half an hour to an hour, when it will coagulate. Wash and dry.

When chlorophyll can be had or the cost of the whole will permit, the addition of water soluble chlorophyll should be made after the rosin and the quantity is a matter oi' choice. Its presence aids in getting a true color band; however excellent results may be had without the use of any chlorophyll. Y

As an illustration of the yellow coating, add 151/2 ounces of 76% caustic soda to twenty five gallons of hot water, stir in 18 pounds of a good grade of rosin, saponify the rosin by adding 1 pound 141/2 ounces sodium carbonate while the mixture is being boiled and agitated. Add 15 pounds of metanil yellow-precipitate with 15 pounds of manganese chloride. Dissolve in fteen gallons of hot water, filter, precipitate out while hot; wash and dry.

Many other pigments can be selected from the great variety familiar to those skilled in the art, as substitutes for the pigments listed. Some trial and error will be necessary to nd the most suitable pigments for the particular beverage and the particular operating conditions.

The beverage changes color in the treatment. In the case of Whiskey, for instance it takes on a darker shade and the change in color indicates the development that is going on. Within a short while after the whiskey has been under treatment it will be noticed by comparison with untreated Whiskey that the color is changing towards that characteristic of aged Bourbon whiskey and if the treatment is continued the whiskey will grow still darker approaching a port wine color. By the changes in color the progress of the process can be followed and interrupted or ended according to what is to be accomplished.

Under the action of the selected rays of light, the charred oak of the conventional whiskey barrel, and the vegetable matter in other cases, produces the mellowing and flavor forming effect with great rapidity and apparently the extraction of tannin is suppressed for the nished beverage has no tannin taste.

I claim as my invention:

The process of treating an alcoholic beverage in a barrel having a bung-hole, which includes directing a concentrated pencil of selected rays through the bung-hole into the interior of the barrel from a point exterior of the barrel and reflecting the same into the beverage.

ROBERT HAYS VAN SANT. 

